Traders oppose earmarking of space for vendors

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

Earmarking of space for street vendors in markets has evoked strong reactions from various market associations of the city. Traders at the markets have decided to lodge a strong protest against the authorities and observe a strike in case the process is not stopped immediately.

Rajinder Menhdi Ratta, president of the Market Welfare Association, Sector 32, said the MC had allotted space for street vendors in front of the showrooms. How the MC could allow vendors to sit in front of the shops, which they had brought after spending huge money? Now they were left with no other option but to start an agitation soon.

Aashish Garg, owner of SCO No. 280 in Sector 32, said how the MC could allow vendors in front of his shop. There would be no place for customers in case vendors were allowed to sit in front of the shops.

Ranjan Verma, president, Progressive Traders Association, Sector 22, said the MC had allowed vendors in front of their booths. Security issues would be involved if the vendors were allowed here.

Arvinder Pal Singh Bedi, president of the Market Welfare Association, Sector 19, said despite their strong protest in the past, officials again came to earmark the space. They had developed the market after a lot of hard work, but the MC was now taking steps to destroy their business.

Jagdeep Mahajan, Booth Welfare Association, Sector 32, said the market would oppose the move strongly.

As street vendors’ bylaws are likely to be notified soon, the MC has started the process of shifting vendors in a phased manner after marking the space.

MHC RWA opposes earmarking of vending zone

The Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra, has also opposed the earmarking of a vending zone in the area. Col Gursewak Singh (retd), president of the association, in a letter to MP Kirron Kher, said the vendor’s zone proposed in the MHC, Mani Majra, would create problems for residents. He said the proposed site was in no way suitable for the vendors’ market. This is a congested area with the market on one hand while a school on the other. The area is surrounded by a network of narrow roads. Lack of parking space is bound to create huge traffic chaos. The thickly populated area will be subjected to higher degree of noise pollution. Moreover, it entails shifting away of the police beat box, which is highly undesirable from the security point of view.

CBM delegation meets Joint Commissioner

A delegation of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM), along with representatives of different affected markets of Sector 19, 22 & 32, met Tejdeep Saini, Joint Commissioner of the MC and in-charge of the Vending Zones. They highlighted their problems and asked him to remove the demarcation for vendors from in front of showrooms and booths of market complexes. Anil Vohra, president, CBM, Charanjiv Singh, chairman, and Sanjiv Chadha, general secretary, along with the traders, met Tejdeep Saini. Charanjiv said the traders, who were stakeholders, should be given due representation in the Town Vending Zone Committee, for which they had already given the names in writing to the MC Commissioner.